The very thought of him watching us made me shiver with repugnance. “You killed that girl?” The shock on my face made him smile again.
“I didn’t just kill her, I made love to her first. Then I cut her here, here, and here.” He pointed to spots on my body with the dagger. “Then I held her under the water till she stopped moving. It was glorious.” Darcy crowed like a rooster. “I retrieved your corset from the water and placed your wig upon her head. I thought myself very creative,” he said, preening like a peacock. His deranged laughter caused me to shrink back in fear. “Then I posed her so she would experience the ultimate humiliation of being found in that way.”
“You are a monster!” My words were barely audible as I fought the panic rising in my chest.
“Let’s not forget the woman I sacrificed. I cut her heart out while she still lived. It was so invigorating, holding her heart in my hands as her warm blood pumped through my fingers,” he said, his eyes turned perversely psychotic. “The sheer terror I saw in her eyes at that very moment I drove the knife into her chest was rejuvenating.” Darcy’s voice sounded giddy as he described in detail his horrific act of murder, a demonic cackle coming from his mouth.
His gruesome recounting caused memories to flood back to me of the dream I had. I leaned over the side of the bed purging myself of my stomach’s contents.
“Does the preview of what is to come upset you, darling Angelina?” His sarcasm and total disdain for the sanctity of life angered me anew.
I began pulling on the bed frame again, this time with fierce determination. I could feel the rope bite into my flesh. I was going to kill him or die trying. Turning so that I could kick the bar with my feet, I screamed like an animal. I kicked at him when he took a step toward me.
Something in my eyes frightened him because he jumped back even though he held my dagger in his hands. I felt the bar give. Just one more kick and the bar came off in my hands.
Jumping from the bed, I swung wildly at him with the bar still attached to the rope.
“I’m going to kill you, you psychotic, murderous demon!” I screamed, swinging again, this time hitting him hard across his arm and chest. Darcey dropped the dagger he held, cried out in pain and grabbed his right arm.
Stepping back from him, I put the bar between my legs, pulling it free of the rope. This made it easy to slip my hands free from the rope when it went slack. I grabbed for the bar again as he lunged at me.
“You are going to pay with your life for that,” Darcy yelled, trying to startle me into dropping the bar. Swinging the bar again with more precise aim this time, I struck him in the back as he tried to dodge me.
“Your words are confusing, Lord Montgomery. I thought you told me I would die,” I countered, playing with him now. But this time, I was the cat and he was the mouse.
“Not at all, Angelina, I am going to cut your heart out just like I did the other woman’s, and I am going to drink your blood and relish every drop before I am done.”
Running at him, I screamed, “You bloody bastard, we will see who dies tonight,” while whacking at him with the bar.
He stepped back, tripping over his own feet. Astonishment registering across his face just before I struck him several times, rendering him unconscious. Standing back to assess his condition, I struck him two more times just to make sure he truly was unconscious before I retrieved my dagger and sheath.
Grabbing the lantern, my dagger and the metal bar, I headed down the tunnel. I had no idea what I would find at the end, but the unknown was better than staying still.
Several rooms with doors off the long corridor stood open, but I didn’t stop to look inside. Fear propelled me forward. I needed to keep moving. Coming to the end of the tunnel, there was another long expanse of corridors to the left and one to the right. I didn’t know which way to go.
Taking three steps to the right, I stopped and listened. Did I hear a noise back down the hall from where I had just come? I convinced myself that it was just the dark playing tricks on me and decided to go to my left. Running now, as fast as I could, with the dim glow of the lantern to guide me, I had gone about four hundred yards when I came upon another door. Putting my ear to the wood, I listened for any sign of life on the other side, but heard nothing.
Quietly lifting the lever, I pulled the heavy door open a few inches, just enough to peek inside the room. The opulently furnished room was aglow with light from lanterns and candles throughout. Not seeing anyone about, I opened the door wider and stepped inside.
Clearly it was a man’s bedroom. I cautiously left the door behind me opened in case I needed a quick escape and inched my way silently toward the other door at the far end of the room.
Listening at the door again, and hearing nothing from the other side, I slowly opened the door and again strained to listen for movement of any kind. Warily I poked my head out the door to look left and then right. Seeing that the hallway was deserted, I stepped out of the room and went to my right and down a flight of stairs. Holding my breath, I hoped my luck would last.
On the main landing of what was obviously the servant’s entrance. I breathed a sigh of relief. All I needed now was the door to open and I would make for the woods.
“Excuse me, miss, but may I help you?”
Jumping clear out of my skin, I whirled around to face a tall, well-built man in his mid-forties dressed in a butler’s uniform.
“I seem to be lost. If you would be so kind as to show me to the door, I will be on my way,” I said, hoping that my disheveled appearance wasn’t too shocking and that the staff wasn’t in on Lord Montgomery’s extracurricular activities.
“Of course, if you will follow me. It is right this way,” he said, his genuine manner putting me at ease as he led the way down the hall and around a corner.
“Would you care for a cup of tea before you depart, Madam?” he asked, stopping to address me directly before continuing around the corner.
“No, thank you, I think I will be happy to be on—”
Two of Darcy’s large henchmen grabbed me by the arms as I rounded the corner. And who should be standing there in front of me with a nasty gash on his head, blood dripping down the side of his face, but Lord Montgomery himself.
“You really should have finished the job, my dear.” His face was distorted with rage and blood as he clenched and unclenched his right hand. “I am going to take immense pleasure in tomorrow’s ceremonial sacrifice,” he said through clenched teeth while walking menacingly toward me.
“But, sir, this is Lady Stewart,” the young man to my right blurted out in surprise.
“I know who she is, you idiot!” Darcy’s words delivered with a ferocious slap across the young man’s face. “And if you ever interrupt me again, I will put you on the altar next to her.” The man appeared shocked by Lord Montgomery’s vicious attack on him. Immediately coming to attention, he tightened his grip on my arm.
I was paralyzed with shock and fear as disbelief sunk in. One minute I was on my way out the door; the next minute, I was right back into the frying pan.
“You won’t get away with this, someone will find out,” I said in desperation, then shrinking back from the crazed look in his eyes.
“I have and will continue to get away with it, Angelina. But now I think it is time you got your beauty rest. Tomorrow is a very big day, and I want you looking your best for our guests.” Taking a handkerchief and bottle from the butler, he was about to pour the liquid into the handkerchief with a flourish of show.
I struggled kicking at Darcy and the two men with every ounce of strength I had left, causing Darcy to drop the bottle, shattering it on the floor. The contents spilled everywhere. I heard Darcy scream, “Don’t breathe the fumes,” but it was too late. I felt their grips give as I held my breath, placing my sleeve over my nose and mouth.
I didn’t waste a second scrambling around the corner, retrieving my metal bar as I went. I ran through the hallway as fast as I could. My legs felt like r
ubber, and they didn’t respond like they should, but I was not giving up. I could hear Darcy behind me cursing. So I kept running. I wasn’t going down without a fight.
Finding the front door, I threw it open and ran directly into a large man standing guard. Brandishing my metal rod, I swung at him and missed. I tried to dodge around him, but he blocked my way.
“Get out of my way!” I demanded with authority, but he wouldn’t budge, and I could hear Darcy coming.
Charging him, I swung with all my might but to no avail. The man easily dodged it and captured me, pinning my arms to my sides as if I were nothing more than a rag doll.
Darcy came through the door like a charging bull, angry and snorting until he saw me. Then his cruel smile returned as he once again had the upper hand.
“You really do know how to try a man’s patience, my dear,” his words hitting me like a bucket of cold water.
“The only reason you have me again is your servants. You can’t even fight your own battles like a real man,” I said, my words meant to deliberately insult him.
“A man with my particular proclivities requires very loyal subjects surrounding him. And now for you, Lady Stewart, what shall I do with you?” he said, putting his palms together as he studied me.
I could see him seething just beneath the surface. Suddenly, his hand snaked out brutally, slapping me across the face, rendering me momentarily dazed.
“It is easy to take cheap shots at a defenseless woman while your man servant holds her arms, isn’t it, Lord Montgomery,” I said as I tried to antagonize him into doing something stupid. I spat the blood from my mouth on the ground at his feet.
Balling his fist up again to hit me, he stepped in closer. In his rage, he swung his fist as I went limp in my captor’s arms, causing him to jerk forward as I ducked. Darcy’s fist hit the man squarely in the jaw, catching him by surprise. His grip loosening just at the precise moment I needed it to.
Swinging around with the bar still in my hand, I clubbed the man across the chest, then in his head. He dropped to the ground like so much dead weight. Whirling around with the bar, I swung wildly for Darcy, but he stepped back, avoiding being hit.
“Well, aren’t you the clever girl?” His tone solicitous as his eyes slowly met mine.
“Touch me again, and I will show you just how clever I can be,” I said threateningly, while I backed away from him.
Following me as I backed down the steps away from him, I still held the bar in my hand ready to use it in case he charged me again. He was biding his time waiting for an opportunity to pounce if I had a miss step.
“I just want to know something, Lord Montgomery. How did you plan to get away with it?” I asked while still backing away from him.
“Get away with what, Lady Stewart?” he replied amicably, like two friends out for a walk in the dark.
“All those murders, including mine? There had to be a lot of witnesses. Weren’t you worried that someone would turn you in?” I stopped to see what he would do.
“They wouldn’t break the code,” he answered, stopping also.
“And what code would that be, if I might be so bold as to inquire?” I asked as my head started feeling a bit clearer now that I could breathe fresh air.
“It is a secret society. If I tell you about it, it will no long be secret.” His sadistic half-smile visible in the dark. “Faise ce que tu boudres, do what thou wilt.”
“Yes, I studied Latin too. So how does one identify this secret society of nefarious delinquents, and what exactly does one do at these meetings of your very secret society?” I asked as my curiosity piqued, and I began to back up again.
“We have no real distinguishing marks that you would notice except for this tiny mark on the inside of our left wrist,” he said, holding out his wrist to me for examination. He had six small dots in a circular pattern, one inch above his hand. “As for what exactly goes on at these meetings, I am afraid, Lady Stewart, it would make even a woman such as yourself blush. It is a pervasive befouling of all that is holy,” his eyes lighting up as he spoke, reminiscing to himself.
“That is close enough, Darcy Montgomery!” I yelled suddenly, frightened by the ruthless glint in his eyes and confident smile on his face.
“Oh contraire, Angelina, I plan to get a lot closer before the night is through.” Lunging at me, he grabbed at the rod when I swung at him, taking it from my hands, then knocking me to the ground. Pouncing the moment my head hit the ground, he pinned my arms by my head while straddling my hips.
For a brief moment, I thought I felt the ground rumbling beneath me, but I couldn’t be sure because of the ringing in my ears. What I did know for sure was that he had me trapped and meant to kill me.
“I think it’s time for lesson number two,” he said, his voice and demeanor dramatically changing from civil to deranged.
“And what exactly did you have in mind?” I stalled, trying to clear my head again. “It seems you are missing a couple of henchmen to do your dirty work, Lord Montgomery,” I taunted, deliberately baiting him.
“Then I guess I will have to get my hands dirty, but first, you must be sanctified and cleansed,” he said, grinning at me like a madman.
I fought with all my might, but the weight of him sitting on my hips prevented me from getting to my dagger. Tucking my right hand under his knee, he shifted his weight slightly. He tried to do the same with my left hand, but I fought back.
Finally, he grabbed me about the throat with his left hand and tightened his grip until I could barely breathe. “Stop struggling! You are only making this harder on yourself.”
“You mean the part where you choke the life from my body?” I whispered between clenched teeth.
“I can be merciful and it will be quick, or I can take my time and choke you over and over again, my dear. Which would you prefer?” He asked, tilting his head to one side as he shifted his weight.
“I would prefer the part where you let me go and we call it even.” Struggling to free my trapped hands, I could feel myself slipping away.
I looked up just before I passed out to see a startled look on Darcy’s face. I felt his weight removed from my chest, and I could breathe again. I thought I must be dreaming. I heard Darcy screaming and perceived someone lifting me into their arms and then Jude’s voice was calling to me. “No no no! Angelina, don’t you die on me. Speak to me!” His frantic cries penetrating my darkness.
“Is she breathing?” Honore called to him.
Jude placed his head to my chest. “I hear a heartbeat.”
Tears welled in my eyes before I even opened them. “You found me.” My voice sounded strange to my ears. Opening my eyes to gaze into his magnificent face, the tears began to flow. I couldn’t believe that I was alive.
Honore stood peering over Jude’s shoulder. “We thought we had lost you.”
“That makes two of us.” I managed to choke out the words.
Lifting me in his arms, Jude passed me off to Honore. Then purposely marching over to where Darcy was standing held by Carlyle and Emerson who were flanked by Jones and Smithy, Jude balled up his fist and clobbered Darcy in the jaw. While Darcy’s head was bobbing back, Jude landed two more brutal punches to his gut, causing Darcy to fold in half. Jude grabbed Darcy by the throat forcing him to look directly at him. “I could kill you as easily as snuffing out the flame of a candle, Montgomery. But death offers more peace than you truly deserve,” he said with deadly intent.” So I have decided to let you live. And each morning, when you open your miserable eyes and curse the day that you draw another breath, I want you to know your wretched existence continues because I will it,” Jude continued as he squeezed Darcy’s throat tighter, till he gasped for air.”
Jude continued through gritted teeth, “And as you live out the rest of your pathetic wretched little life, rotting in a cold dank cell, know that you will never be anything but a pathetic excuse for human life.” Spitting on the ground next to him, Jude released Darcy as if the v
ery touch of his skin were caustic. “Take him away,” Jude ordered.
I followed Jude with my eyes when he went to retrieve his horse, and for the first time, I saw Maggie sitting astride his steed.
“Maggie, you made it out. I was so worried about you,” I cried through the pain in my throat. Pushing against Honore’s chest, I forced him to put me down.
Throwing my arms around her neck when Jude had helped her from his horse, she buried her face in my hair and sobbed.
“I thought I would be too late to help you. I did what you told me to and ran.” Her tearstained face stared into mine while her hands touched my cheeks to make sure I was real.
“You were very brave, Maggie, you saved me. I truly thought my time had run out,” I whispered in her ear as I hugged her tightly. “You saved my life, Maggie, and for that I will be eternally grateful.”
“I hate to break this up, but we need to get you home. I sent Duncan ahead to alert your parents that we knew where you were being held.” Jude’s words took a moment to sink in.
“How many days has it been?” I asked, looking up suddenly. “Mother must be sick with worry.”
“Four days, and yes, both she and your father have been going crazy,” he said, staring down at me. “Honore, can Maggie ride with you?”
“Of course, my friend.”
Jude climbed onto his horse, then reached down to help me up with the aid of Honore. He seated me in front of him. As soon as Honore and Maggie were ready, we headed for home.
There certainly had been moments in the last four days when I thought I would never see my loved ones again. Relief washed over me as Jude cradled me in his arms.
“Are you cold, my angel?” he asked with concern, pulling me tighter against him.
“Not anymore,” I sighed, staring up at the stars. “Promise me you won’t leave my side again,” I whispered to him as we rode for home in near silence except for the sound of the horse’s hooves clip-clopping on the cobblestoned streets. Everyone seemed to be lost in their own thoughts.
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